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Phishing Scam Careerbuilder Notify Alert!

Fight Online Fraud

Trust and Site Security (TSST) is a team of dedicated specialists who research, track, and monitor all user activities and interactions on the CareerBuilder.com web site in order to promote a secure online environment and instill confidence in the CareerBuilder brand.

Email header lines make up the first part of any email message.
They contain information used to control the message and its transmission as well as meta-data such as
the Subject, origin and destination email addresses, the path an email takes, and its priority.
Header lines are normally not shown raw and in full by email programs.
Only certain information — the Subject line, sender and sent date, for instance — is displayed, formatted for easy use.
When wondering the credibility of an email, it is a good idea to review these header lines, as they often will display suspicious information.

Short for "malicious software," malware refers to software programs designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system.
Common examples of malware include viruses, worms, trojan horses, and spyware. Viruses, for example, can cause havoc on a computer's hard drive
by deleting files or directory information. Spyware can gather data from a user's system without the user knowing it. This can include anything from the Web pages
a user visits to personal information, such as credit card numbers.

Phishing is the act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt
to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. Typically, the messages appear to come
from well known and trustworthy Web sites. The e-mail directs the user to visit a Web site where they are asked to update personal information,
such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has. The Web site, however,
is fake and set up only to steal the user's information.

While there are legitimate work-at-home jobs today, it is very important that a Job Seeker is able to identify the legitimate opportunities from work-at-home scams.

Work at Home scams are "positions" which claim that almost anyone can perform the job and earn lots of money from the comfort of home and without any advanced skill, knowledge, or training. They may sound like great opportunities for earning some extra cash, but in reality, falling for one of these scams only leaves the Job Seeker frustrated and with an empty wallet.

Some of these so-called jobs involve assembling crafts, stuffing envelopes, data entry, or even bill processing. The "employer" requires an upfront payment for instructions about the position, required software, or materials. Or the employer may require a "subscription fee" or initial start up fee be paid before they send any information to the Job Seeker. Once payment is made, the Job Seeker is told that the materials and information will be mailed or emailed to them within several business days.

If the Job Seeker even receives the materials/software needed to start their new "job", the materials are usually of very poor quality and the information provided is minimal. Typically, the Job Seeker is given instructions to assemble the products or transcribe data. However, when the task has been completed, the fraudulent employer immediately rejects the work claiming that it didn’t meet the required standards or did not pass their quality control test. Often these employers require a repurchase for another kit/software at a "discounted rate" to receive another payment from the Job Seeker. The fact is that all work submitted to the employer will be rejected as it will never "meet quality standards." The Job Seeker is left with less money in the bank and will never be paid by the "employer."

In some cases, the Job Seeker will not receive any materials to start employment. Attempts to contact the employer will be unsuccessful, due to the lack of valid contact information provided for the company. Again, the Job Seeker is left without any working materials and may be further in debt.

Check the internet and Better Business Bureau for the company name, phone number, and location. If you are suspicious of the posting and have a phone number available, place a call to the company and inquire about the job details. Visit our resources page which provides you with helpful websites to enhance your job search and research if there is negative feedback on a company. Due to our privacy policy, CareerBuilder cannot provide additional information, other than the information listed on the posting.

Think before you apply.

If a company is offering a high wage or salary for very few hours of minimal work, it would not be ideal to forward them your personal information. It’s best to investigate before sending any of your information to a potential employer.

Seek local employment.

If a company states to be located overseas, first research the company. Next, contact the company directly, inquiring about the opportunity being offered. You may also submit a ticket to our Trust and Site Security Team to verify the legitimacy of a company or opportunity.

Do not cash/wire/ship any checks or products.

Companies will never ask you, for any reason, to set up a bank account, to deposit checks, or to accept direct fund transfers into your own account and then wire them to another source. If you receive an email requesting you to do so, cease communication with the company, and contact CareerBuilder immediately.

Ask questions.

Ask specific questions to the employer that is offering the position. The posting should provide enough information about the position, however if a description seems vague, report the job to Trust and Site Security. You can use the "Report this Job" form to notify us of questionable jobs posted on our web site or forward any suspicious job offers you received in email to TSST@CareerBuilder.com.

Never provide sensitive personal information during the initial application process.

Be extremely careful providing information such as your Social Security number, Drivers License number, Date of Birth, or other sensitive information that might make it easy for a fraudster to use that information to steal your identity. We recommend that you never place this type of information on your resume. However, please keep in mind that most companies will require your social security number when filling out an actual application. If you are asked to fill out an application online, on that employer’s website, you can check to see if that page is secure (the address bar should read "https:").Pending that outcome, it is entirely up to your discretion as to whether you would like to apply online or not. You may want to contact the company directly to find out if there are other methods of application.

Below are some helpful questions to ask the employer:

What specific duties will I have to perform on a daily basis?

What are the normal business hours?

Does your company have a website or additional information about this position?

If you have paid in advance for materials, software, or fees in conjunction with a work at home position, and attempts to contact the employer are unsuccessful, contact your bank or credit card company immediately to attempt to stop or reverse charges.

If you wired money, contact your bank immediately and request to stop the wire. Advise the bank of your situation.

If you replied to a posting from CareerBuilder.com, notify Trust and Site Security (TSST@CareerBuilder.com) so that we can take action immediately. Be aware that many emails claim that the company is advertised on Careerbuilder.com; however a great majority of these emails are spoofed, and not derived from the Careerbuilder.com database.

Fraudulent companies will send out phony job positions such as "Accounts Receivable Clerk," "Finance Manager," or "Mystery Shopper." These fake job offers are commonly delivered through email and usually claim to have come through online Job Boards or include forged legitimate business names in order to make the messages appear credible.

The phony job offers describe a position where you are to collect funds from the fraudulent company’s "clients" and then transfer money back into their or another agent’s bank account. This may be conducted through Wire Transfer, Check, or even direct ACH transactions.

The fraudulent company will usually mail the Job Seeker a fake check (it might be a Cashiers, Money Order or Travelers Check) and also provide instructions on how to cash the checks and where to transfer the money. (Other variations of the scam instruct the Job Seeker to accept a direct ACH transfer of funds or to accept a Wire Transfer. Some scams will use online payment services instead of bank accounts.)

The "employer’s" instructions will request to have the funds deposited into a bank account under the Job Seeker’s name. The Job Seeker is told to keep a small percentage of the money as commission. The bank wires the funds immediately and, a few days later, will discover that the original check from the "employer" is fraudulent.

By the time the check is identified as fraudulent, the scammer already has their money and the "employee" is left with a negative or frozen bank account. The bank holds the person on the account liable for the funds and, in certain cases, will seek legal action. As this is considered illegal activity, the "employee" can possibly face charges, whether they knowingly participated in the money laundering process or were tricked.

Check the internet and Better Business Bureau for the company name, phone number, and location. If you are suspicious of the posting and have a phone number available, place a call to the company and inquire about the job details. Visit our resources page which provides you with helpful websites to enhance your job search and research if there is negative feedback on a company. Due to our privacy policy, CareerBuilder cannot provide additional information, other than the information listed on the posting.

Think before you apply.

If a company is offering a high wage or salary for very few hours of minimal work, it would not be ideal to forward them your personal information. It’s best to investigate before sending any of your information to a potential employer.

Seek local employment.

If a company states to be located overseas, first research the company. Next, contact the company directly, inquiring about the opportunity being offered. You may also submit a ticket to our Trust and Site Security Team to verify the legitimacy of a company or opportunity.

Do not cash/wire/ship any checks or products.

Companies will never ask you, for any reason, to set up a bank account, to deposit checks, or to accept direct fund transfers into your own account and then wire them to another source. If you receive an email requesting you to do so, cease communication with the company, and contact CareerBuilder immediately.

Ask questions.

Ask specific questions to the employer that is offering the position. The posting should provide enough information about the position, however if a description seems vague, report the job to Trust and Site Security. You can use the "Report this Job" form to notify us of questionable jobs posted on our web site or forward any suspicious job offers you received in email to TSST@CareerBuilder.com.

Never provide sensitive personal information during the initial application process.

Be extremely careful providing information such as your Social Security number, Drivers License number, Date of Birth, or other sensitive information that might make it easy for a fraudster to use that information to steal your identity. We recommend that you never place this type of information on your resume. However, please keep in mind that most companies will require your social security number when filling out an actual application. If you are asked to fill out an application online, on that employer’s website, you can check to see if that page is secure (the address bar should read "https:").Pending that outcome, it is entirely up to your discretion as to whether you would like to apply online or not. You may want to contact the company directly to find out if there are other methods of application.

Below are some helpful questions to ask the employer:

What specific duties will I have to perform on a daily basis?

What are the normal business hours?

Does your company have a website or additional information about this position?

If you replied to a posting from CareerBuilder.com, notify Trust and Site Security (TSST@CareerBuilder.com) so that we can take action immediately. Be aware that many emails claim that the company is advertised on Careerbuilder.com; however a great majority of these emails are spoofed, and not derived from the Careerbuilder.com database.

Shipping scams, similar to Payment Processing scams, usually originate as phony job offers sent out by fraudulent companies. These fake positions require the Job Seeker to receive packages, such as Electronics, DVD, CD’s and other items, and then re-ship the packages overseas to another location.

The fraudulent company usually promises that they will pay a commission per shipment, as well as cover any shipping fees. The Job Seeker receives the items at home, fills out the custom forms, and then re-ships the packages overseas. The "employer" sends a check or initiates a direct money transfer to the Job Seeker and, a few days later, the bank notifies the "employee" that the recently deposited funds are fraudulent. The bank holds the person on the account liable for the funds and, in certain cases, will seek legal action.

The fraudulent company will usually mail the Job Seeker a fake check (it might be a Cashiers, Money Order or Travelers Check) and also provide instructions on how to cash the checks and where to transfer the money. (Other variations of the scam instruct the Job Seeker to accept a direct ACH transfer of funds or to accept a Wire Transfer. Some scams will use online payment services instead of bank accounts.)

The goods received by the "employee" in this position are commonly obtained by the fraudulent company through unauthorized credit card purchases online. The fraudulent employer purchased the items illegally and then uses the Job Seeker to "launder" the goods overseas. Not only is the Job Seeker potentially fined for fraudulent deposits to their account by the bank, but could also be facing legal action from the credit card company for "laundering products" or even criminal prosecution for receipt of stolen goods.

Check the internet and Better Business Bureau for the company name, phone number, and location. If you are suspicious of the posting and have a phone number available, place a call to the company and inquire about the job details. Visit our resources page which provides you with helpful websites to enhance your job search and research if there is negative feedback on a company. Due to our privacy policy, CareerBuilder cannot provide additional information, other than the information listed on the posting.

Think before you apply.

If a company is offering a high wage or salary for very few hours of minimal work, it would not be ideal to forward them your personal information. It’s best to investigate before sending any of your information to a potential employer.

Seek local employment.

If a company states to be located overseas, first research the company. Next, contact the company directly, inquiring about the opportunity being offered. You may also submit a ticket to our Trust and Site Security Team to verify the legitimacy of a company or opportunity.

Do not cash/wire/ship any checks or products.

Companies will never ask you, for any reason, to set up a bank account, to deposit checks, or to accept direct fund transfers into your own account and then wire them to another source. If you receive an email requesting you to do so, cease communication with the company, and contact CareerBuilder immediately.

Ask questions.

Ask specific questions to the employer that is offering the position. The posting should provide enough information about the position, however if a description seems vague, report the job to Trust and Site Security. You can use the "Report this Job" form to notify us of questionable jobs posted on our web site or forward any suspicious job offers you received in email to TSST@CareerBuilder.com.

Never provide sensitive personal information during the initial application process.

Be extremely careful providing information such as your Social Security number, Drivers License number, Date of Birth, or other sensitive information that might make it easy for a fraudster to use that information to steal your identity. We recommend that you never place this type of information on your resume. However, please keep in mind that most companies will require your social security number when filling out an actual application. If you are asked to fill out an application online, on that employer’s website, you can check to see if that page is secure (the address bar should read "https:").Pending that outcome, it is entirely up to your discretion as to whether you would like to apply online or not. You may want to contact the company directly to find out if there are other methods of application.

Below are some helpful questions to ask the employer:

What specific duties will I have to perform on a daily basis?

What are the normal business hours?

Does your company have a website or additional information about this position?

Notify your bank immediately if you have deposited a fraudulent check or received a transfer of funds. If the funds have not cleared, have the charges reversed.

If you still are in possession of the stolen goods, contact the local authorities and advise them that you were involved in a Shipping scam.

If you already shipped the goods, but have not cashed the check from the fraudulent company, contact the authorities to inform them of the situation; provide them with the check and any emails that you received so that you may file a report.

If you replied to a posting from CareerBuilder.com, notify Trust and Site Security (TSST@CareerBuilder.com) so that we can take action immediately. Be aware that many emails claim that the company is advertised on Careerbuilder.com; however a great majority of these emails are spoofed, and not derived from the Careerbuilder.com database.

Check the internet and Better Business Bureau for the company name, phone number, and location. If you are suspicious of the posting and have a phone number available, place a call to the company and inquire about the job details. Visit our resources page which provides you with helpful websites to enhance your job search and research if there is negative feedback on a company. Due to our privacy policy, CareerBuilder cannot provide additional information, other than the information listed on the posting.

Think before you apply.

If a company is offering a high wage or salary for very few hours of minimal work, it would not be ideal to forward them your personal information. It’s best to investigate before sending any of your information to a potential employer.

Seek local employment.

If a company states to be located overseas, first research the company. Next, contact the company directly, inquiring about the opportunity being offered. You may also submit a ticket to our Trust and Site Security Team to verify the legitimacy of a company or opportunity.

Do not cash/wire/ship any checks or products.

Companies will never ask you, for any reason, to set up a bank account, to deposit checks, or to accept direct fund transfers into your own account and then wire them to another source. If you receive an email requesting you to do so, cease communication with the company, and contact CareerBuilder immediately.

Ask questions.

Ask specific questions to the employer that is offering the position. The posting should provide enough information about the position, however if a description seems vague, report the job to Trust and Site Security. You can use the "Report this Job" form to notify us of questionable jobs posted on our web site or forward any suspicious job offers you received in email to TSST@CareerBuilder.com.

Never provide sensitive personal information during the initial application process.

Be extremely careful providing information such as your Social Security number, Drivers License number, Date of Birth, or other sensitive information that might make it easy for a fraudster to use that information to steal your identity. We recommend that you never place this type of information on your resume. However, please keep in mind that most companies will require your social security number when filling out an actual application. If you are asked to fill out an application online, on that employer’s website, you can check to see if that page is secure (the address bar should read "https:").Pending that outcome, it is entirely up to your discretion as to whether you would like to apply online or not. You may want to contact the company directly to find out if there are other methods of application.

Below are some helpful questions to ask the employer:

What specific duties will I have to perform on a daily basis?

What are the normal business hours?

Does your company have a website or additional information about this position?

Phishing scams are cleverly disguised communications through which scammers attempt to get your account login credentials. These scams most commonly show up in the form of email messages, but may also appear through instant messages, text messages, and even in phone calls.

These phishing messages are designed to appear as though they were sent by a legitimate company. In email phishing, scammers will usually forge the From email address to make it appear to be from the company or person it is pretending to be. They will also use logos and graphics from the legitimate company’s web site and create an email which looks similar or identical to actual messages the company might send.

The links contained within an email phishing message usually lead the recipient to a false website. These false sites are usually identical or very similar to the site to which the recipient thinks they are traveling. Once the recipient has "logged in," however, the site owner (scammer/phisher) has and can use the recipient’s login information. Sometimes these sites will contain additional fields to be completed and often request that the victim update their banking, payment, or other sensitive information.

Perhaps most importantly, these scam messages, regardless of how they are delivered, are written in a way to trick the recipient into immediate action by using urgent or threatening language. Almost all of these phishing messages indicate to the recipient that his or her account will be shut off if he or she does not comply with the requested action in the message. Most companies will not contact you through email, instant message, or text message for urgent account updates. CareerBuilder will not send you an email requiring any updates to your account or threatening to close the account if you don’t take a particular action.

More recently, email phishing messages have included additional threats to the recipient by not only tricking him or her into providing login and other sensitive information, but also into downloading malware onto the recipient’s computer system. This malware, usually a Trojan horse program or even a mix of programs, can often sit on the recipient’s computer to capture data from the hard drive and track the user’s keystrokes.

If you receive an email that you suspect might be a phishing attempt, don’t click on the URL within the message! Please be sure to check the destination URL on the link contained within BEFORE attempting to login or submit any information. By simply hovering your mouse pointer over the URL, many email applications will display information on where the URL actually takes you. You can also "view source" or "show original" message in many application based and online email viewers.

When in doubt, contact a trusted source at the company, such as calling their Customer Service department, to verify what communications have come from them. It is also recommended to hand type the known URL of the company into the web browser before logging in instead of clicking on any links sent to you within messages purporting to be from the company.

Hovering your mouse pointer over the link, or viewing the source message, reveals a URL that does not appear related to the company supposedly sending you the message.

The link within the message is a truncated (shortened or tiny size) URL which then redirects you to the actual web site.

The message contains spelling errors, grammatical errors, awkward wording or phrases, or a combination of all of these.

The message includes attachments that you are asked to download or open.

You are being asked to provide information that the company should already have or shouldn’t need to know such as: user name and password, payment information, banking information, credit card numbers with security code, Date of Birth, Driver's License number, or even Social Security Number.

Remember that CareerBuilder will NEVER ask you to update your account via email through a link requiring you to login.

If you receive an email of this nature that appears to come from Careerbuilder, immediately contact CareerBuilder’s Trust and Site Security (TSST@careerbuilder.com) team to verify if the email is legitimate before performing any actions.

The message includes attachments that you are asked to download or open.

Remember that CareerBuilder will NEVER ask you to update your account via email through a link requiring you to login.

If you receive an email of this nature that appears to come from Careerbuilder, immediately contact CareerBuilder’s Trust and Site Security (TSST@careerbuilder.com) team to verify if the email is legitimate before performing any actions.

Reset your CareerBuilder password immediately through the "Forgot password?" link located on the sign-in page.

Employers should contact their CareerBuilder Client Support Specialist and/or Sales Representatives to make them aware of the situation- they can work with Trust and Site Security to make sure the user’s account is secured.

Perform a scan of your computer system with up-to-date anti-virus software; if on a corporate computer, contact your Tech Support immediately for assistance and advise them of the situation.

If malware is found on your computer, it is recommended to reset your password again through your Client Support Specialist or from a verified malware-free computer system; you may also want to reset passwords for any other accounts you may have accessed through the infected computer.

Disregard all future emails that require you to update account information.

Forward the original phishing email message with full extended headers to CareerBuilder's Trust and Site Security team (TSST@CareerBuilder.com) so that we can take action immediately.

Resources For Fraud Security:

Non-Traditional Job Postings are positions or Business Opportunities which vary from regular W-2 or 1099 job listings. These opportunities typically require a fee or investment for software, start up kits, services, or registration.
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